Separable attachment plug



Jan. 26, 1932.

H. A. FLQRSHEIM SEPARAB'LE ATTACHMENT P LUG Filed March 19, 1928 INVENTOR Harry A. Florsheim BY W Patented Jan. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES HARRY A. FLORSHEIM, OF NEW YORK, N: Y.

SEPARABLE ATTACHMENT PLUG Application filed March 19, 1928. Serial No. 262,847.

This invention is an improvement in separable attachment, plugs.

The connections for such plugs are usually more or less concealed, and it is difiicult to engage the plug cap part with the receiving part, when such receiving part is connected with a socket, without the aid of sight. and the parts as a rule mustbe fitted together by guess and by touch.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is the provision of an attachment of the character specified, wherein the fixed part of the plug is so constructed that the contact prongs of the movable part are guided naturally, merely by contact into the prong sockets, and wherein the connection may be made without the aid of sight, and without necessity for first locating the sockets.

Another object is the provision in such an attachment of a construction applicable for use with that type of prong wherein the wide dimensions are diametrical, or wherein such wide dimensions are parallel.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts fully described hereinafter, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims appended hereto, itbeing understood that various changes in the form, proportion, slze and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a part hereof Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a type of attachment, with the parts separated.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the receiving part.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections on the lines 3f3 and 4-4, respectively, of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the attachment.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an alternate construction.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the receiving part of the plug includes the usual cylindrical body 1 of insulating material, having the sleeve 2 of conducting material. threaded to engage the plug socket, and having also the contacting element 3 of conducting material, for making with the sleeve 2 the connections with the electric circuit.

The body is laterally flanged at the end remote from the element 3 as shown at 4, and 5 in the said end is arranged the sockets 5 for the reception of the prongs 6 on the movable element 7 of the plug. These prongs 6 are adapted to engage between pairs of spring contacts 8 in the body 1, the said contacts being connected with the sleeve and the element 3 respectively.

As shown, the sockets 5 are rectangular in cross section, and have their wide sections parallel, being arranged on opposite sides of thecenter of the body. In order to facilitate the entrance of theprongs into the sockets, the end of the body is provided with are shaped recesses 9 at opfposite sides of the center, the adjacent ends 0 the recesses being separated by radially extending abutments 10. The recesses 9 have their outer walls at an acute angle to the axis of the body, and the said walls are formed on straight lines as shown in Fig. 3.

The abutments 10, which are substantially triangular in plan view and extend radial of the body, have their apices at the sockets 5, and at the centers of the wide dimensions. The arrangement of the recesses 9 is such that 30 such a central boss 11 of cylindrical form is left at the center of the end of the body, the said boss having its outer face flush with the end of the body, as shown in Fig. 4.

, When in the use of the attachment,,the cap element 7 is to be engaged with the receiving element, the mere contact of the prongs with the end of the body will cause the prongs to engage the recesses 9, and a slight turning movement of the element 7 will cause the prongs to engage with the sockets 5. Whenever the element 7 is turned with the prongs in the recesses 9, the engagement of the prongs with the inclined sides of the abutments 10 will deflect the prongs into the sockets. It is not necessary in inserting the element 7 to see the receiving element. The connection may be made wholly by the sense of touch, and without any necessity for groping and fumbling to insure registration of mo prongs and socket. The registration is auto matically brought about by contact and slight relative rotative movement.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 5 is for use with cap elements of the character shown in Fig. 1, wherein the prongs have their wide dimensions parallel, or of those of the character shown at 12 in Fig. 5, wherein the prongs 13 have their wide dimensions in alinement.

' The receiving element 14 of the attachment is shown connected with a wall plate 15. This element 14 has sockets, each of which is composed of a portion 16 parallel with a diameter of the element 14, and a portion 17 perpendicular to the portion 16. That is, the sockets are T-shaped, the portions 16 being designed to receive prongs having their wide dimensions parallel, while the portions 17 are designed to receive prongs 13.

In order v to facilitate insertion of the prongs of either character, the end of the ele ment 14 is annularly recessed as shown at 18, the recessbeing shaped in cross section like a recess 9, but being a continuous recess entirely encircling the central boss 19, which corresponds to the boss 11 of Figs. 1 to 4.

In this arrangement, contact of the cap element 7 or 12, as the case may be, with the receiving element 14, causes the prongs to engage in the recess 18, and with a slight turn- 7 ing movement, the prongs are brought into shown in Fig. 5, that is, where the prongs are parallel, or in the same plane.

In this construction, the receiving element 20 is provided with the T-sha d sockets 21 V which are arranged on opposite sides of a central boss 22 corresponding to the boss 19 of Fig. 5. The face of the element 20 is recessed in somewhat the same manner as that shownin Fi 5, but instead of a recess of uniform dept l i, the bottom thereof inclines downwardly in-each direction from a diametrical line at right angles to the line through the stem portions of the T-shaped sockets.

This arrangement provides for an abutment 23 between the portions of the recess, and'the side walls of each abutment incline downwardly toward the sockets. I With this arrangement, the prongs are-guided naturally into the sockets, moving down the inclined sides of the abutments, regardless of thepoint where they are engaged with the receiving element.

What is claimed as new is 2- 1. In an attachment of the character specified, a receiving member having sockets, a central boss between the sockets, and an are shaped recess adjacent the boss, the peripheral fied, a receiving member having sockets, a central boss between the sockets, and an arc shaped recess adjacent the boss, the peripheral wall of the boss forming the inner wall of the recess, and the basal surface ofthe recess being inclined downwardly towardthe sockets, and a radially extending abutment at each end of the recess adjacent the outer side of each socket, said abutments having side walls converging toward the adjacent socket.

3. An attachment plug comprising a body of insulating material having in one face a plurality of are shaped recesses, separated by radially extending abutments, and having contact sockets at the inner ends of the abutments, said body having a boss between the sockets, with the free end thereof plane, and flush with the tops of the abutments, and spaced from the inner ends of the abutments a distance corresponding to the width of the sockets.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 2nd day of March, A. D. 1928.

V HARRY A. FLORSHEIM. 

